Pluck the Courage Dammit!
by WhiteGloves
Summary: Hermione was always annoyed by Krum's presence in the library. She wished he would just stay shut in his stupid ship! Unknown to her was Krum's debating attempt to overcome the wall she had made between them. How is he going to ask her to the Yule Ball?


**Pluck the Courage Dammit!**

**by: WhiteGloves**

_OneShot_

**_Been re-reading Harry Potter from first book and now reached book four (Goblet Of Fire) This story just sprang up. I mean- I just have to know what happened by my own idea and some help from HP conversations. My first one in Harry Potter Universe. Dun't own any of them. All belongs to the witch aka Rowling^^_**

_note: Goblet of Fire lost page_

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Hermione was pondering over her book inside the library trying to figure out her homework in Transfiguration when she heard the familiar giggles of the fangirls of Viktor Krum from the other side of the library. She looked around sharply at Madam Pince, the librarian, but she was no where in sight. _Just when she is most needed!_

Mustering to keep the curse that threatened to slip by her lips, Hermione stood up and crammed her things back on her bag. It'll be too bothersome if she was found in the company of these silly girls, especially now that it looked like they were desperate to approach Krum, who was just sitting on the next table beside her; probably to ask him to go to the dance with any them. With this on her mind, Hermione suddenly pictured the group of girls fighting and cursing each other after Krum finally agreed to go out with only one of them. She almost smiled at the thought but the fangirls giggled once more and this brought back her bad mood.

"Really," she muttered with a frown as she tossed her quill inside her bag and swung it on her shoulder, "Can't even have a peaceful day."

"Excuse' me?"

Hermione looked up. Viktor Krum had approached her and was standing in front of her looking sulky. His broad shoulders slumped on his side and if Hermione didn't know better, she'll think Krum was fidgeting.

"What?" she snapped, her eyes catching the fangirls looking at her in jealousy.

Viktor stood there not speaking but eyeing her with what she thought was nervousness. Well, it couldn't be '_nervousness_', could it? Not from the Quidditch World Cup Hero who bravely performed the Wonsky Feint or something?

"I vos just thinking…" Krum started to say when Hermione edged out of her chair, his dark eyes staring directly at her, "Vill you… I mean…"

To Hermione's bewilderedness, Krum looked really put out and anxious for some reason. What was he trying to say? Seeing the Viktor Krum like this in front of her, Hermione decided to be a little nicer. She was nice to House-Elves anyway, what's the difference?

"Can I help you with something?" she asked slowly.

At her kind voice, Viktor seemed to finally pull himself together. Hermione watched in amazement as Viktor Krum opened his mouth and said the words she never expected him to say.

"Vill you go to the ball vith me?"

Hermione blinked. Krum seemed to be talking about the Yule Ball this Christmas. It's not that she forgot but she wasn't expecting this person to...

Viktor Krum remained standing there with his fist tightly closed.

"Uhm…" started Hermione trying to clear things on her mind. "You want to- to go to the ball…with me?"

Viktor Krum nodded. "Vill you?"

Hermion eyed him suspiciously, remembering that Karkaroff was his Head Master and they were all into Dark Magic. Krum seemed to fret under her gaze but stared determinedly back.

"I don't know…" started Hermione as she sat back on the chair, her eyes darting toward the girls two shelves behind Krum. "Why me?"

"Because…" said Krum frowning and licking his dried lips as he sat down too, "I haff been votching you. Efferyday, in this library. Effer since I saw you at the entrance of the Great Hall. I knew you vere different… I haff this feeling…Hermy-own."

This, above all, amused Hermione that she split into a smile.

"You're telling me," she said in an amused tone, "That you've been hanging around in this library just so you can talk to me?"

"Vell, yes," said Krum earnestly, "I vos alvays on votch for you…trying to pluck my courage to talk to you… I haff never felt this strange feeling, not effen when I'm doing Quidditch."

Hermione gaped at him. All the boys she knew were all so busy talking about Quidditch and everything concerning it that she had started to think all of them were huge Quaffle Heads and Bludger guts. This was the first time someone ever paid attention to her and a boy at that who likes Quidditch.

She was thinking along the lines that Harry and Ron could never do the same. And it struck her. She was being asked by Viktor Krum! What will Ron has to say about that? But then…he wouldn't believe her even if she shoved Viktor Krum under his nose… No, Ron would just make fun of her… That was when she decided not to tell anyone.

"All right then," she said with a smile.

Viktor Krum looked utterly relived as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Hermione watched him and then heard angry buzzes somewhere. The fangirls seemed battling over who would distract Krum's attention.

"What about them- those girls?" asked Hermione, raising her eyebrows at the girls behind Krum.

Krum didn't look up but stared at Hermione hard.

"I don't know them… They are just like efferybody else."

Hermioned silently agreed. Then she remembered her homework.

"Look- Krum-"

"Call me Viktor."

"Uh- right, Viktor. You see I have plenty of er- works to do and I'm afraid I can't-"

"I know." said Viktor and Hermione was amaze at how sweet he was smiling. "I haff been votching you and know it is your priority. But all the same, I vant to ask some of your time to be spend vith me. Is that ok? I vould vant to know you more."

Hermioned blushed and nodded vigorously.

"I vill see you then?"

"Yes."

Viktor Krum smiled again and stood up. He watched Hermione for sometime before moving away. As Hermione watched him go, she thought he saw him clap his hands. He even looked back to wave her a goodbye. Hermione smiled. The fangirls all buzzed after him.

Moments later as Hermione stood up from her chair again, Neville came bustling from the library door. Hemioned looked and found Neville muttering under his breath.

"What's up?" she asked as she took her bag from the floor.

"Hermione- you know- can I ask you to the ball?"

Hermioned blinked. Neville blushed furiously.

"You see- you were always nice to me- you've helped me with many things so I thought.."

Neville smiled weakly at Hermione and from that she knew it wasn't because Neville had seen her as how Krum did. Looking for the right words, Hermione started to say slowly.

"Sorry, Neville, but I'm already going with someone else…"

Neville looked up crestfallen.

"Oh… I see, of course."

Silence fell between them.

"Shall we go to Potions then?" she asked kindly, knowing that it would make Neville more depressed.

It did.

"Oh come on," said Hermione soothingly as she pat Neville's back and they walked along the hall, "Don't let Snape get the best of you…"

"Who are you going with? Ron or Harry?" Neville suddenly asked.

Hermione snorted and shook her head.

"Neither."

She knew people had expected her to go with either Ron or Harry… but it was not her fault. Seemed like both her friends have a lot of choices and seemed like she was their last resort. Ah. Whatever.

_**~END~**_

_**Thank you for reading! :D**_


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